


There are things we shouldn't tolerate

by predilection



Category: Kamen Rider 555, Kamen Rider Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-13 04:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2136234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/predilection/pseuds/predilection
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mari had always hated bullies and Kusaka was definitely a bully.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There are things we shouldn't tolerate

**Author's Note:**

> While watching the series, I really wanted a scene where Mari told Kusaka to take a hike. Also, I noticed that Takumi appreciates it when Mari stands up for him, and I like thinking about the ways Takumi and Mari take care of each other.
> 
> This contains some minor spoilers for episodes 30 and up. Trigger warnings for Kusaka being a manipulative and abusive asshole.

Kusaka made dinner. Takumi naively thought that maybe he was showing off his cooking abilities to impress Mari. He thought so until he touched his bowl and immediately recoiled. The sides were so hot that he thought his fingertips might have been burned.

He glared at Kusaka, who lifted his own, obviously cooler bowl, with ease and smirked back at him.

"Why you--" Takumi started to say.

Keitaro kicked him until the table. "Be nice, Takkun," he whispered.

"It's hard to be nice when someone is out to get you," Takumi said, continuing to glare at Kusaka.

"Well, I'm not here to cater to your sensitive cat tongue," Kusaka spat back.

Before Takumi could reply, or get up from the table and storm out like he was considering, Mari reached for his bowl. The second the tips of her fingers touched the ceramic, she was pulling her hand back, partially in surprise from the heat, and partially because Takumi had managed to grab her wrists and pull her hands away. 

"Hey! You almost burned Mari!" Takumi yelled across the table.

At the same time Mari asked, "What's the meaning of this, Kusaka?" She pushed back her chair, stood up, and stared down at him.

"Hey, now," Keitaro said, hands raised, trying to play peacekeeper.

"You used to support me," Kusaka said to Mari, also coming to his feet. Takumi didn't miss the way Kusaka's hands clenched into fists, and Takumi tensed, ready to get between them and protect Mari at a moment's notice.

"I used to _protect_ you," Mari pointed out. "When we were kids."

"So you won't anymore now that I've grown up?"

Takumi noticed that Mari's hands were in fists now too. "I protected you from bullies," Mari yelled back at Kusaka. "And now you are one!"

"You're defending _him_ now?" Kusaka asked, sneering in Takumi's direction. "You know what he is!"

"He's better than you!" Mari shouted.

There was silence after that. Kusaka looked like he wanted to punch something. Takumi figured it was probably his face.

"Mari," Kusaka finally said. "You're not thinking clearly. All this over broth?"

"You've been lying to all of us. Misleading us," Mari said, and Takumi looked up at her in surprise.

"I did no such--"

"I talked to Kiba," she said, cutting him off.

"And you'd trust him over--"

"He told me about all the lies you've been spinning about Takumi!" Mari shouted. "He even told me about the lies you spun after I died!" Mari was angry. Really, truly angry. Takumi had never witnessed this before. Even Keitaro seemed alarmed, afraid and awed.

"I don't like bullies," Mari continued. "And you're a bully!" She pointed at Takumi's bowl as if to prove her point.

"I don't know why you're acting like this," Kusaka said, trying to sound calm, like she was somehow irrational in comparison to him. Takumi recognized it as one of his many manipulative tactics.

"Get out!" Mari yelled.

She wasn't looking at him anymore. She wasn't looking at any of them. She was staring down at the table.

Kusaka muttered something under his breath, but he left, slamming the door behind him.

"Mari," Takumi found himself saying and he could hear the shock in his voice. She had just done what he himself had been hesitant to do. He hadn't wanted to upset Mari by getting into it with Kusaka. He hadn't realized how upset she already was. 

He felt a rush of affection towards her. In all the ways that truly mattered, she was stronger than him, and so, so much better than him. 

She let out a deep breath and then marched over to the stove top. She pulled out a fresh bowl and served a new portion into it. Then she placed it in front of Takumi so he wouldn't be stuck with the one Kusaka had tampered with.

He looked up at her. Her head was still bowed, her hair covering her eyes. "Thanks," he told her, knowing the words were inadequate.

She sat down, heavily, into her chair but made no move to continue eating. She kept her head down, and Takumi could tell that she was trying not to cry.

"Is it okay like this?" Keitaro asked hesitantly, looking towards the door as if he was thinking about going after Kusaka.

"It's better like this," Takumi told him honestly. They'd all be better off without Kusaka's abuse.

Takumi noticed that Mari's hands were clenched in her lap. He slowly reached over and carefully placed one of his hands over hers. She looked over at him, surprised, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.

Takumi wasn't very good with words or with this kind of thing in general, so he offered her what he hoped was an appreciative and supportive smile.

Her lips quirked up a bit and she nodded like she understood. He squeezed her hand. With his other hand, he picked up his bowl and started to blow on its contents.

Under the table, she turned her hand under his, slotted their fingers together and squeezed his hand back.


End file.
